Let Your Heart Hold Fast
by kshearten
Summary: And then a fuzzy image started to form in his inebriated brain; a memory he had long ago locked away: Beca Mitchell standing in the Quad at Barden, bedecked in a too long graduation gown, with her fist held high. Yeah, Jesse decided, L.A. was as good a place to go to as any. Beca x Jesse Future Fic.
1. Prologue

**Let Your Heart Hold Fast**

* * *

_All my days are spent  
All my cards are dealt  
Oh, the desolation grows  
Every inch revealed  
As my heart is pierced  
Oh, my soul is now exposed_

* * *

**Prologue**

**May 2015**

"_What's up, nerd?"_

_Jesse turned from the conversation he was having with a couple of underclassmen Trebles and grinned. _

"_Hey, Beca, you're really rocking that hat," he said as he walked towards her, ducking low so that he wouldn't photobomb Benji and his siblings as Mrs. Applebaum took yet another picture._

"_I make mortarboard look good."_

"_You'll never hear me deny it." _

_She smiled and tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. "Cassie around?"_

_He shrugged and tossed a glance over his shoulder. "Nah, she was taking some pictures with her sorority sisters earlier."_

_Beca shook her head incredulously. "I can't believe you went from me to a sorority chick."_

_He smiled and bit back his retort. He never would have started dating Cassie if they hadn't of broken up the previous summer when Beca had gotten an internship in Los Angeles. But that was old news. They had managed to be friends, and he figured that was easier than pretending to hate her._

"_Would you care to take a stroll around the quad with me before we head our separate ways?" she asked._

_There was something bugging her, he could tell, but he knew prying would never get it out of her. So he kept it light by holding out his arm and bowing. "Don't mind if I do."_

_She rolled her eyes, but took his arm anyway. "Dork."_

"_So, Beca Mitchell, how does it feel to be a college graduate? Are you feeling like an adult yet?"_

"_I'm not sure," she said honestly. "Are you looking forward to moving to New York?" _

"_Yeah. I mean, I'm nervous about it, but in a good way."_

"_What about scoring movies?" she asked. "Wouldn't it be easier to produce a soundtrack where the movies are actually being made?"_

"_They make movies in New York," he said nonchalantly. "RCA is headquartered there, and they produce soundtracks all the time." _

_In all honesty, New York had been a huge compromise for him. Like Beca, he had always envisioned himself in L.A. as well, but Cassie was from the East Coast and had her heart set on going back. He hadn't planned on moving in with a girl so soon, but he and Cassie had really hit it off, so he took the risk and applied for an entry-level position with a New York label that specialized in music for television shows and other lower budget projects. It wasn't exactly scoring movies, but being the eternal optimist that he was, he saw it as a great way to pay his dues._

"_Besides," he added, "they have these new fangled contraptions that fly in the sky. You may have heard of them; they're called 'airplanes,' so I can get to L.A. pretty easily if I need to."_

"_Well, if you ever need a place to stay, or if you change your mind even –"_

"_Whaddup, bitches?" Fat Amy called, sidling up to them. "Are you both in for my rad party tonight? There'll be lots of man meat for you to ogle, Beca. And you too, Jesse, if that's suddenly your thing."_

"_Sorry, Amy," he laughed. "Cassie and I are having dinner with our parents, and then we're heading out first thing tomorrow."_

"_Tomorrow?" Beca asked, her voice high._

_Amy threw Beca one of her knowing looks before smiling back up at Jesse. "That's too bad. You always did add a touch of class to the place."_

"_Aw, Amy." He placed his hand over his heart and threw her an affectionate look._

"_But not that much," she amended._

_Jesse shook his head. "Thanks. I'll miss you too, Amy."_

"_Aw, c'mere you," Amy exclaimed, pulling his face down into her cleavage and rocking him back and forth._

"_Amy," he pleaded, his voice muffled._

_Beca gently placed a hand on her friend's arm. "Let him breath, Amy."_

_Amy pulled away, her eyes misty. She straightened her clothing, not meeting his gaze. "Well, take care now. See you, Beca."_

"_Bye!" Jesse called as she hurried off to smother her next victim._

"_So you're leaving tomorrow?" Beca asked as soon as Amy was out of earshot._

"_Well, yeah. I start work on Monday, and we wanted to get settled in before then, so…"_

"'_We?' You mean Cassie wanted to get settled in. Jeez, do you even have a place to stay?"_

"'_We' as in Cassie and me. And yes, I do have a place to stay. Her mom's a realtor, and she found us this great, rent-controlled apartment in Brooklyn. Apparently that's a big deal in New York."_

"_I didn't realize you were leaving so soon," she muttered._

"_What's wrong, Beca? You're acting weird."_

"_Nothing," she said in that way that meant it definitely wasn't 'nothing.' "I just thought we would have time to, you know, hang out before you left."_

"_We're hanging out now," he pointed out, and she nodded half-heartedly. He had to remind himself that Beca was not his girlfriend anymore; if she were going through one of funks, she would have to crawl out of herself. He couldn't help her anymore. "When do you leave for L.A.?"_

_She sighed. "Not for another two weeks. Work doesn't start until July, so my dad and stepmom want to make a road trip out of it. It should be excruciating."_

"_Why are they going?"_

"_Unlike some people, I don't have a realtor scouring L.A. for a great, rent-controlled apartment on my behalf."_

"_A necessary evil then."_

_Beca nodded and reached up to fiddle with her ear spike. "Jesse, are you sure you want to –"_

"_Jesse!" He whipped around to see Cassie walking their way._

"_Shit," Beca grumbled, watching Cassie with wary eyes. Cassie wasn't particularly warm to their friendship. _

"_I'll be there in a second, Cas," he replied, and she stopped in her tracks, her eyes narrowing at Beca. "What were you saying?"_

"_I need a favor. It's corny, and you can't laugh," Beca demanded._

"_Me? Laugh at you? I wouldn't dare!"_

_She held up her hand, a camera dangling from her wrist. "I want a graduation picture of us. Something to… I don't know… remember you by, I guess."_

"_That's not corny at all," he insisted. "It's good to know that I rubbed off on you in some way."_

_She smirked and crossed her arms. "So you'd like to think."_

"_Come here," he said, looping an arm over her shoulders. She handed him the camera – they had learned long ago that she had a penchant for cutting their heads off – as he bent his legs to level their height difference. He pressed his cheek against hers, causing both of their graduation caps to go askew, and grinned widely before saying cheese and snapping the picture._

_Beca snatched the camera from his hands before he could inspect his handiwork, and looked down at the screen. She nodded slowly and gave him a tremulous smile. "It's a good picture."_

_He opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by an irritated Cassie. "Jesse, our parents are waiting."_

"_You should go," Beca said monotonously. "It's still not too late for her to sic her sorority sisters on me. I could maybe take one or two, but they're hard to fight off in packs."_

_Jesse motioned for Cassie to wait just a moment longer and turned back to Beca. There was something bothering her besides a rare moment of nostalgia._

"_This isn't goodbye forever, you know."_

"_Jesse –"_

"_No, seriously." He took her hand and squeezed, ignoring Cassie's indignant harrumph. "You're stuck with me whether you like it or not. I'm always here for you."_

_She gave him a sad smile. "Thanks."_

"_I'll call you soon, okay?" She nodded, and despite Cassie's glower boring into his back, he leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Take care, Bec."_

_He ran off to join a fuming Cassie, but he only laughed off her nagging and looped an arm around her waist as they made their way through the crowd. She may not have been as colorful as Beca was, but Cassie was just what he needed. They were halfway across the Quad when he heard Beca shout, "Hey, nerd!"_

_He turned, and she cupped her hands around her mouth so he could hear her. She sang a single line, her voice echoing across the Quad:_

"_Don't you forget about me!"_

_Jesse knew she would think it was cheesy before he even did it, but he raised his fist in acknowledgment. Much to his surprise, though, Beca smiled cheekily and punched her fist in the air as well._

* * *

**February 2025**

"That's everything. Jesse… Jesse, are you listening to me?"

Jesse snapped out of his drunken reverie to stare blearily at his wife – his soon-to-be _ex_-wife – over his whiskey tumbler.

"Do you need any help getting your stuff packed? I don't want you to drag your feet, and we have to pay rent for another month."

"No."

Cassie, or Cassandra as she preferred to be called now, placed her hands on her hips and looked down sadly at him. "I hate seeing you like this."

"I hate seeing you at all," he slurred. "So we're even."

"For what it's worth, Jesse, I am sorry. We both know things haven't been the same since Charl–"

Jesse shrugged. "Just get out, Cassie… andra. _Cassandra_."

Cassandra opened and closed her mouth several times before finally turning around, her heels clicking on the hardwood floor as she left the apartment. No doubt her boyfriend was waiting downstairs for her. Now they were going to go live happily ever after in his penthouse apartment, and she'd carry around a Yorkie in her Louis Vuitton, and they'd give each other herpes.

He stood, rocking slightly on his feet, and made his way to the kitchen to pour him another glass of whiskey. Then he walked back to the living room and stood in the middle of the room, surveying the wreck of his life. No wife, no kids, no place to live after next week; hell, he didn't even have a dog. He hated his job; yeah, sure he produced music for sitcoms with laugh tracks, but it's not like he was _making _music. He mostly handled finances and royalties. The only person he was moving to tears was himself, and those were tears of bored frustration.

He took a few big gulps of his drink and nodded his head complacently. Yep, he could not stay here. He had to get the hell out of dodge, start over with a clean slate, begin a new chapter in his life, and all those other clichés.

Jesse ran a hand down his face and sighed. He just needed a plan. He had nothing tying him down anymore, so it didn't matter if he ended up in Chicago, Illinois or Dodson, Montana; he just had to get out of New York City. It suddenly occurred to him that he should let fate decide, get a map of the continental United States, and just point.

He spent approximately half an hour searching the apartment for a map before he realized he didn't own one, so he finally pulled one up on Google.

"You go wherever your finger lands," he told himself. "No going back. Unless it's in Louisiana, then you get an automatic redo."

Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and pointed randomly at his monitor.

"Shit," he muttered drunkenly when he opened them. He couldn't live in the ocean. Pineapples under the sea were not a viable option. Could he reselect? He had told himself no going back. So he improvised by dragging his finger inland. His finger was now smack between Los Angeles and San Diego. Now what?

He didn't know anyone in San Diego, but he had a few business contacts in L.A. He knew Benji was living there with his wife and son, so it's not like he wouldn't know anyone there. It would be a new beginning; he would follow his college plans and move to L.A. in hopes of becoming a real music supervisor and composer. And then a fuzzy image started to form in his inebriated brain; a memory he had long ago locked away: Beca Mitchell standing in the Quad at Barden, bedecked in a too long graduation gown, with her fist held high.

Yeah, Jesse decided, L.A. was as good a place as any.

* * *

_**Author's Note: **__The title comes from Fort Atlantic's song "Let Your Heart Hold Fast."_

_This is my first multi-chapter fanfic in a while, so hopefully everything goes smoothly, and my inspiration sticks around for a while. I'm hoping to update at least once a week, and I'm not a review hound by any means, but please feel free to __**politely**__ encourage me to continue if you see that I'm a little slow with a new chapter. _

_Here's a little something that I will leave you to ponder upon while I polish Chapter One: Jesse is not above self-preservation. I find that one of the most poignant parts of Pitch Perfect is right after Beca and Jesse tell each other good luck. I fully expected Jesse to turn around and give her one last look before he went on stage, but he didn't. Am I the only one who noticed this? Mr. Swanson can be a little unpredictable. ;-)_

_I hope you all enjoy!_

_**Disclaimer: **__Pitch Perfect is the property of Universal Studios. I'm just manipulating it for my own nefarious (and strictly nonprofit) purposes._


	2. Chapter One

**Let Your Heart Hold Fast**

**Chapter One**

* * *

Jesse sighed in relief as he pulled up to the Applebaums' large, suburban home. He was bone tired from driving nearly three days straight and wanted nothing more than to crash in a comfortable bed for at least that long.

It had taken about a month for Jesse to get his affairs in order in New York, even though he still wasn't sure if had was making the wisest move. All of his business connections were in New York, and he couldn't attest to the soundness of a decision made while completely inebriated, but his decision was validated when he ran into Cassandra and her boyfriend at what had used to be their favorite coffee place. He still didn't know what they were doing in Brooklyn; there were plenty of coffee shops in Manhattan, but either way, he at least knew he'd be able to maintain his sanity 2800 miles away.

Two days later, he flew to Cincinnati for an awkward visit with his parents and to pick up the 2013 Toyota 4runner that he had bought off of his brother, then he headed to Los Angeles via Tulsa and Albuquerque.

He tried not to stop only when necessary, especially after he was propositioned by a swinger couple at a Missouri rest stop. He couldn't wait to fall into a bed and sleep off the trip, and he hoped that Benji and his wife, Shoshanna, didn't want to play catch up all at once.

He had lost touch with most of the Treblemakers after college, but he had remained in contact with Benji, even though Jesse hadn't seen the Applebaums since their wedding; spending so much time with Shoshanna and Benji was going to be an adjustment. Together they could be a little... excitable. Shoshanna was anxious to begin with, but from what he had gathered over the past year or so, it had gotten a little worse since the birth of their son.

He grabbed his duffel bag from the passenger seat, deciding to get the rest of his things later, and stepped out of the 4runner. He took a moment to stretch his back and limber up before walking up the walkway with its perfectly spaced perennials on either side. He had barely knocked on the door when it flew open, and Shoshanna attacked him.

"Oh. Em. Gee. You. are. here!" she cried, pulling him into a tight hug. Jesse forced a grin and wondered if she was going to have an entire conversation enunciating every word like that.

"How are you?" she asked. He opened his mouth to speak, but she quickly twittered on, "Oh my gosh, you look great. I hate you, but you always look so good. Especially now, considering..."

He shrugged and followed her as she ushered him in. "Yeah, considering."

"Benji's upstairs with Noah," she explained. "We've been doing potty training boot camp, so we haven't been putting clothes on him."

Jesse raised his eyebrows in surprised confusion. "Wow... that sounds interesting."

"Jesse," she announced, turning back to him. "I cannot tell you how excited we are to have you. We've been looking forward to this ever since you called that night when you were really drunk, like, seriously. You were totally wasted, and there was no way we can ever turn away a friend in need."

He smiled half-heartedly. "Thanks, Shoshe."

"Is that him?" a voice called, and Jesse turned towards the source.

"Welcome, friend," Benji said, appearing in the hallway with a fully dressed (thankfully) toddler in his arms. He set the little boy down and pulled Jesse into a hearty hug. "It's good to see you."

"Thanks, buddy," Jesse managed to wheeze out, and he clapped Benji awkwardly on the back. When Benji finally released him, his son toddled over and looked curiously up at Jesse.

"Hey, little guy!" Jesse dropped down to the little boy's height and ruffled his curly hair affectionately, but he took a step back and stared up at Jesse blankly.

"What's your name?"

Shoshanna ran forward to scoop him up when it became obvious that her son wasn't going to answer. "Oh, he's a little shy," she explained. "Say hi, Noah!"

Noah just continued to stare.

Jesse cleared his throat uncomfortably and turned back to Benji. "Cute kid."

Benji nodded proudly. "How are you?" he asked, leading Jesse into the family room.

"I'm... well, you know, I'm good. I think I just needed to get out of New York."

"I understand completely. What Cassie did is unforgivable. She is dead to me. Shoshanna and I unfriended her on Facebook as soon as we heard."

"Thanks, Benji. I really appreciate that."

"Would you like something to drink?"

"A water would be great." He took a seat on the couch as Benji went into the kitchen.

"Oh, I know a great therapist if you need one!" Shoshanna said when Benji walked to the kitchen. "When my friend, Miranda, got her divorce, she went a little crazy and lit her ex's trash on fire, so the court forced her to meet with Dr. Lithgow twice a week, and now she's totally way better than how she was before. She's really in touch with her spiritual inner self, so she took a vacation to Tahiti, and she met this really great guy. They opened up this little puka bead shop on the beach, and she's really happy."

"Really?" Jesse asked skeptically, taking the bottled water Benji held out for him. It sounded to him like Shoshanna's friend was still in the middle of a mental breakdown.

"Oh yeah. But it wasn't a big fire or anything. It was only his recyclables."

"We're all very green in California," Benji added.

Jesse took a swig of his drink and nodded. "I've heard."

They lapsed into an awkward silence.

"Well, um, thanks for letting me crash here, Benji," he began. "You're really doing me a solid."

"Nonsense," Benji said, holding up a hand. "You got me into the Trebles, and I've never repaid you."

Jesse laughed, but immediately began coughing when he realized that Benji was serious. "Seriously, Benji, that was years ago, you don't have to –"

"But I do. You made my college dream come true, and now it's up to me to ensure that your dreams come true."

"Well, I already have a couple things set up, so I promise that as soon as I get something, I'll be out of your hair."

"Oh. My. GOD. Jesse, you can stay as long as you like!" Shoshanna blurted, and Jesse gritted his teeth. Was it absolutely necessary for her to speak that quickly all the time?

"Let me show you where you'll be staying, you're probably exhausted. Come with Daddy and Jesse, Noah."

Jesse stood, expecting Benji to take him upstairs. Instead, he walked to the back door and led Jesse and Noah to the pool house.

"We just had it redone," he said as he unlocked the door. "You should find that you have everything you need."

"Wow, man," Jesse said, turning in a circle to admire his new living quarters. He hadn't expected anything like the pool house. It was essentially a one-room apartment complete with a small kitchen and full bath. It was nicely decorated in shades of gray and blue with a great view of Benji's pool. "This is great... is that a casket in the corner?"

"Oh, those are my illusionary supplies. I still do the impromptu performance from time to time."

"Awesome." He scratched behind his ear in concern. "There's nothing living back there is there?"

"No, Shoshanna doesn't allow animals in the house."

"At least it's not your sex toys or anything like that," he joked.

"No, those are in the garage," Benji replied seriously.

Jesse choked back an uncomfortable laugh and turned to Noah.

"Hey buddy, what do you have there?" he asked, motioning to the lumpy stuffed toy the boy was holding. Noah said nothing and continued staring up at Jesse as he had been since his arrival.

"I get it, a man of few words."

"He won't stop talking once he gets used to you," Benji assured him.

"It's cool man. He's cute," Jesse said before grumbling to himself, "...in a _Children of the Corn_ kind of way."

"You know, Jesse. I heard about your so–"

"It's not really a talking point," Jesse said quickly, his face going hard.

Benji threw him an assessing glance. "I was sorry to hear about it either way. I just thought you should know."

"Thanks," he allowed begrudgingly. He turned his back to Benji and started ruffling through his duffle bag in some semblance of unpacking. He was trying to start over, and there was no way he could do that if Benji kept dredging up old memories.

"Thanks again for letting me crash," he said in an attempt to change the subject. "I'll start looking for a place as soon as I get a job lined up."

"There's really no rush. Shoshanna and I have been looking forward to having you. Besides, she wants her mom to move in here sooner or later, so you've bought me a little time."

Jesse glanced over at him. "Oh, I hadn't realized something had happened to Shoshanna's dad."

Benji shook his head. "Her father is fine; in fact, he's as fit as a fiddle. It's just that Shoshe and her mom can be a little overzealous in their planning." Jesse chuckled appreciatively and Benji shoved his hands in his pockets and watched him quietly for a moment. "You're probably tired, so I'll leave you to get settled in."

"You don't have to rush off," Jesse insisted, even though that was all he wanted at the moment.

"Nah, I need to get Noah undressed before he decides to go in his diaper again." Jesse looked at him in confusion, and Benji shrugged. "One of Shoshe's friends told her about this one weekend potty training crash course miracle. This is our third weekend to try it. I just don't have the heart to let him run around nude. Anyway, she should be putting dinner on shortly, if you want to join us. I'll help you unload after we eat."

"Thanks, Benji. I appreciate it."

Benji nodded his farewell and scooped Noah up. Jesse watched through the window as they walked back into the house, his heart thudding heavily in his chest with a familiar ache. He suddenly felt very alone.

Jesse was finally where he thought he wanted to be, but it didn't do much to assuage the anxiety he felt. He could only hope that he'd find a job as quickly as possible before he wore out his welcome or he snapped completely, whichever came first.

* * *

Three weeks and several uneventful interviews later, Jesse was beginning to think he had made a huge mistake. Sure, he was miserable in New York, but at least he had a job.

In L.A., the job market was inundated with aspiring composers, music producers, and kids trying to get in with the movie studios, and while he did have four years of solid experience as a paper pusher under his belt, his portfolio wasn't as strong as it should have been to compete with the more experienced professionals on the market. He cursed himself for rubbing elbows and trying to be a hot shot instead of doing what he wanted to do; he'd definitely have more solid demos by this point if he had.

He was walking out to his 4runner after a particularly disappointing interview with Paramount, loosening his tie in frustration, when he heard someone call his name. He turned and saw the short, balding man who had interviewed him hurrying after him.

"Hey! Hey, kid!" he shouted, holding up what appeared to be a business card in his right hand. Jesse almost rolled his eyes; he was pretty sure that once he turned 30, people would stop calling him kid. Maybe it was his boyish charm, he thought grimly.

"Yes, sir?" he asked politely to the man who had just told him that he really hadn't had time to sample any of Jesse's compositions, because he couldn't be bothered with such a limited variety.

"Look, I was an asshole back there. Your portfolio is weak, but there's something about you I like, so I'm going to give you a heads up. You ever hear of Harrison Baumgardner?"

"Um..."

"That's okay," Bald and Sweaty said, waving him off. "You will. He's the new big thing, and everyone wants him scoring their movies now. He's about your age, so I thought you two might hit it off."

"What's he looking for?"

"An assistant right now, but he's looking for someone to take under his wing. I'll send him your résumé." He handed Jesse the card he was holding, and Jesse looked at it curiously.

"Finite Records? This is for a record label," he announced.

Bald and Sweaty nodded. "Yes, it's one of Noble Entertainment's labels; Harrison's been affiliated with them for a few years. The CEO, Cameron Noble, has recently taken an interest in movies, so he's talked Harrison into heading up a film score company akin to Remote Control Productions. They'll use Finite Records to produce their soundtracks. It's a win-win situation for everyone involved as long as Harrison can build himself a good team."

Jesse nodded in understanding; a position Remote Control Productions would have been his dream job, but there was no way he could compete with the "younger talent" vying for a spot to work with the great Hans Zimmer. He'd sent his resume in, and, as expected, he didn't hear anything back.

"Well, thanks, Mr…"

"Don't worry about it. Just expect Harrison's call."

He honestly hadn't expected anything, which was why he was surprised when his phone rang as he was editing his resume for the umpteenth time that evening. He groaned; it was probably his mother making sure that he hadn't killed himself. She was the only one who called him after eight anyway. He moved aside his laptop, looking for his phone, and found it under a stack of papers from his lawyer, because if uprooting his life wasn't enough, he also had a divorce to settle.

"Hello?" he answered, silently cursing to himself as the stack toppled over and paperwork floated to the floor.

"Jesse Swanson?" a man asked.

"The one and only," he grumbled as he crawled under the table.

"This is Harrison Baumgarder. I'm sorry for calling so late."

Jesse sat up quickly, knocking his head violently against the bottom of the table. He bit back his yelp of pain and forced himself to answer normally, "Hello, Mr. Baumgardner. I wasn't expecting to hear from you… so soon."

"Oh, for fuck's sake, don't call me that."

Jesse froze. Had he already messed it up? "Um… I'm sorry?"

Harrison laughed good-naturedly. "Just call me Harrison. Never call me Harry, though. I hate that crap. Our co-chair calls me that to get on my nerves, and I swear I'm going to punch her in the face one of these days. Nothing but love, though."

Jesse quirked an eyebrow; so far Harrison Baumgardner was proving to be an interesting character. He had already dropped the f-bomb and casually referenced punching a woman in the face within two minutes to a complete stranger, so Jesse's interest was certainly piqued.

"I know exactly what you mean," he agreed cautiously.

"Anyway, back to the matter at hand. The head of Paramount's music department e-mailed me your resume and a few of your samples earlier today, and I just got through listening to them. A little rough around the edges, but you've got a sound I can work with."

Jesse's heart jumped into his throat. This guy seemed genuinely interested! "Thanks. I can send you a few more if you're interested."

"Nah, no worries, man. I've still got to run your stuff by Cameron, but I'm really interested in meeting you. Is tomorrow too short notice?"

Jesse scrambled out from under the table and grabbed his planner. Then he threw it back down and rolled his eyes; who was he kidding? He didn't have anything set up for the next day.

"Um, I have a couple of appointments," he lied, "but nothing I can't rearrange."

"Great, how does tomorrow at one sound?"

"I can be there."

"Perfect," Harrison said, and Jesse could hear him typing in the background. "Just a word of warning, Cameron Noble will probably want to sit in on the interview since this is his new baby. He can be a little abrasive, but if I can get Mitchell on our side, you're as good as in."

Great, Jesse thought to himself. Now he'd have to pump himself up to impress three people.

"But don't sweat it, you'll be just fine."

"Thanks," he said enthusiastically. "I'm really looking forward to discussing this opportunity with you."

"Hey, do yourself a favor and don't be so formal. We're a laid back group, and you don't want anyone to think you're a stick in the mud."

"Um, yeah, sure. I'll work on that."

Jesse walked to his small closet as soon as he hung up the phone and looked helplessly inside. What the hell was he supposed to wear to an interview with a guy like Harrison Baumgardner?

* * *

Jesse sat in the waiting room of Noble Enterprise's building, which was the home to three different labels, one rock, pop, and indie, and soon to be the home base of Sirius Sound, a film scoring company (he'd spent a lot of time on Google the night before). He bounced his leg nervously as he waited for Harrison to meet with him, and hoped that he didn't look too much like Ted Mosby in his casual business attire.

He jumped every time someone got off of the elevators, until finally a hipster got off. He narrowed his eyes as he approached. "Jesse?"

"Yes, s– yeah. Harrison?"

"That would be me." He grinned, pushing his glasses up his nose. "Have you been watching a lot of How I Met Your Mother?"

Jesse nearly cursed out loud. "Erm…"

"Ah, I'm just fucking with you, man. It's probably better that you play it safe; one can never tell what mood Cameron Noble's going to be in. Come on up." He waved Jesse to the elevator and hit the button for the twelfth floor.

"So, I'm going to be honest with you," Harrison said as soon as the doors shut. "As far as I'm concerned, I'd offer you the job right now."

"Seriously?" Jesse squeaked. He cleared his throat and looked at Harrison questioningly. "But you don't even know me. You haven't even asked me any questions."

"Okay, then. If you were a fruit, what type would you be?"

"Uh… a kiwi?"

"Good, you think fast on your feet. And you're creative; you could have said apple or some lame shit like that. Next, you're favorite movie?"

That was easy. "The Breakfast Club."

"I can dig that. I'm more of a Ferris Bueller guy myself, but I have nothing but respect for John Hughes. So you're familiar with what I'm trying to establish here with Sirius Sound?"

Jesse grinned. He had a feeling that he and Harrison would get along just fine, and he was already getting excited to work with him. He just had to get by Cameron Noble first. "Yeah, you're trying to build a label that works exclusively with production companies to do their soundtracks and film scores. Do you mind if I ask you a question?"

"Go for it."

"Where'd you get the name Sirius Sound?"

Harrison grinned as the elevator dinged open. "Well, Sirius like the star, since we're working with movies, and also, just between you and me, I'm a huge Harry Potter fan."

They laughed together as Jesse followed him down the hallway.

"Unfortunately, I have to subject you to Cameron right now. Like I said, if it were up to me, I'd hire you on, but Cameron wants the person who fills this position to basically be the second coming of Henry Mancini. He's kind of missing the point, so just let me do most of the talking and schmooze him when you can, and hopefully he'll let me hire you."

They walked up to a large receptionist's desk, and the woman behind it looked up at Harrison with a frown on her face. "He'll be with you in a few minutes, Harrison."

"Thanks, Al," Harrison said, motioning Jesse to a sofa. "Anyway, Mitchell would be our saving grace. She actually doesn't know anything about this kind of stuff, her thing is Finite Records, but Cam listens to her. Not that she doesn't carry plenty of weight on her own; her team will be producing most of our stuff, so she's not a bad person to have in your corner."

Jesse's mind slowed. A woman – a music producer at that – called "Mitchell." There was no way, though; she had dropped off the grid ages ago. He suddenly regretted not typing her name into Google the night before regardless. The odds of this Mitchell being Beca were slim to none.

"Cam will see you now."

"Here goes nothing," Harrison grumbled.

He followed Harrison into the office, trying to bite back his nervousness.

"Cam," Harrison greeted. "This is Jesse Swanson. Jesse, our CEO and fearless leader, Cameron Noble."

Cameron stood and held out his hand. Jesse wasn't sure what he was expecting of Cameron Noble, some old crusty exec maybe, not the good-looking Calvin Klein model in front of him. He was pretty much a cleaner cut version of his college nemesis, Luke.

"Pleased to meet you, Cameron."

Cameron raised an eyebrow. "Cameron?" he asked. "Rather colloquial, isn't he, Harrison? And why are you dressed like that?"

"Um..." Harrison looked at Jesse apologetically. "Jesse and I have just been cutting it up. We're already BFFs."

"That's frightening," Cameron commented, sitting back down. He stared at Jesse, before motioning to a chair in front if his desk. "Are you going to sit or are you going to stand there and stare me down during this entire interview?"

Jesse sat and struggled for a recovery while Harrison began going over some of Jesse's credentials. He knew he was a charming, charismatic guy, but Cameron Noble had him unusually nervous. He looked around the office for something to comment on. His eyes fell on a picture of a blonde woman on the credenza behind Cameron's desk, and he squinted at it, trying to think of something to say. He couldn't quite make out her features, but the longer he stared at it, the more familiar she looked, and he sat trying to place her face instead.

"Why are you staring at my wife?"

"Sorry, Mr. Noble," Jesse apologized immediately. "She looks... familiar..." He trailed off under Cameron's glare.

"So, we've listened to some of your demos and score samples, and we're really impressed with your work," Harrison cut in quickly. "How about we start there? Tell us a little bit about the pieces you selected."

Jesse grinned and tried to not let it get to his head. "Thanks, Harrison," he said humbly. "I really appreciate that. I tried to select tracks that showcase my style and versatility."

"Is that how you would put it?" Cameron interjected. Jesse looked at him in confusion and Harrison cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"It's good," Cameron elaborated, "but I don't know how versatile I would call it."

That caught Jesse off-guard, and he wracked his brain for a way to turn Cameron's comment into a positive.

"Well, every composer has a signature sound. John Williams has his neoromanticism, Hans Zimmer, his electronics, Danny Elfman, his quirky sound."

"That's the thing, though. I don't hear Jesse Swanson in any of this music."

"What he's trying to say is –" Harrison began.

"He knows what I'm trying to say."

"That was just a sample CD. I have some longer pieces if you're interested."

"How are we supposed to trust your ability to score an entire film when all we have to go off of are a few samples that are more fit for a 30 second trailer at best?"

"You see, Jesse," Harrison said slowly, casting a withering glance at Cameron, "your work is good... great even. But our label is known for its edginess. Since this is a new endeavor for us, we have to make sure that the person we hire fits into that mould. It's not that we don't think –" Cam grumbled something under his breath, and Harrison coughed awkwardly, "– I don't think that your sound can't be tweaked and developed, but it's too..."

"Traditional?" Jesse supplied.

"Safe," Cameron amended.

Jesse wanted to yell at the arrogant bastard. Sure, he knew he was rusty; he hadn't truly orchestrated something since college. But he was good; he knew he was. He had a knack for seeing a scene in a movie and hearing the perfect piece in his head that complemented the emotion onscreen, but didn't detract from the action. Harrison was definitely interested, but he was cowing down to Cameron, and Jesse wasn't going to get anywhere if Cameron wasn't willing to give him a chance. Silently he wondered where the third, elusive interviewer was. Maybe he'd have a better shot of impressing the mysterious Mitchell.

He was in luck. Cameron took the opportunity to pull up his office communicator and snapped at his assistant, "Where the hell is Mitchell?"

"She's just now walking by my desk, Cam."

"It's about time," Cameron groused, looking past Jesse to the door.

"Sorry," a feminine voice grumbled, and Jesse's insides froze. He knew that voice. She walked up to stand slightly behind his chair. "Recording session ran over."

"It's fine." Cam stood to introduce them. "Jesse, this is Finite Records' chair and –"

The rest was a rush in Jesse's ears. He knew exactly who it was; there had been just too many coincidences that day for it to be anyone else. He stood slowly and took a deep breath to calm his nerves, mentally trying to prepare himself to see a woman he hadn't seen in ten years.

He turned, his hand outstretched, and looked into the surprised, kohl-lined eyes of Beca Mitchell.

* * *

_**Reviewers: **__SkullznRosez :: trustxbelieve :: SecretlySpellman :: xSuperNovax :: kissyourself :: TheLittleRipper :: ingeniousmacabre :: aliasphan :: ohchan :: Hate Finding Usernames :: .792 :: Keri :: Grey :: nine-oh :: amateur-hourd :: holygoof101 __**(This chapter is for you, because you're my fellow former Fildo, and also because you're knocked up! LOVE YA!)**__ :: bellendp :: mysupermanwillcome :: guest (1)_

_**Author's Note: **Y'all knew it was her... there's no getting anything past you guys! ;-)_

_I apologize for the delay. I've actually had most of this chapter typed up for quite a while; I just got hung up on the details of planning and researching. I'm sorry that not a lot happens in this chapter, but I already have most of Chapter Two done, which really gets the story going, and I should hopefully have it posted soon. I typed most of this on an iPad and iPhone, so if you notice any grammatical or formatting issues, please let me know ASAP._

_I always try to keep characters as in-character as possible, and since this story is entirely from Jesse's point of view, I get a little worried that Beca may seem OOC. She's very introverted, so her motives aren't as obvious, which is why I've already started a companion piece to this fic from her point of view (which is another reason why this chapter took so long for me to get out). It will only cover the main plot points, and contains spoilers for __**LYHHF**__, so I won't be posting it until after I am done with this fic._

_Also, if anyone recognizes Shoshanna, the answer is yes, she is absolutely, 100% based off of Zosia Mamet's character in __**Girls**__. I totally love her, and I hope you do to! And think about it, wouldn't she and Benji make the cutest couple ever? That's if Jesse could keep his hands off her "hot rod little bod." That perv… _

_**Disclaimer: **__Pitch Perfect is the property of Universal Studios. I'm just manipulating it for my own nefarious (and strictly nonprofit) purposes._


	3. Chapter Two

**Let Your Heart Hold Fast**

**Chapter Two**

* * *

Jesse stood frozen and stared at Beca expectantly. He had no idea how to play this out. He didn't know if he should shake her hand and schmooze her like he would any other interviewer, or if he should throw his arms around her and greet her like an old friend. He highly doubted that she would appreciate that, even if they had been in contact over the past several years, so he held his ground and gauged her reaction.

Once her initial surprise wore off, something flickered in her eye, and her mouth quirked mischievously.

"Hey, how's it going?" she asked, taking his hand. "Beca Mitchell."

"Jesse Swanson," he croaked. "Pleased to meet you."

She placed a hand on her hip and raised an eyebrow. "Well, I can see why Harry's been jonesing for you all day. You're pretty easy on the eyes."

He opened his mouth to reply, but she just smirked and walked around him to take a seat next to Harrison, who was shaking his head vehemently.

"_Not gay, not gay_," he mouthed to Jesse frantically.

Cameron watched the exchange with disinterest, his chin in his hand.

"Oh, don't mind us," he said dully. "Mitchell and I can wait until you two are done flirting."

"Actually, no," Beca cut in, "I have somewhere to be."

"We know," Cameron and Harrison replied in unison, and Jesse's gaze bounced between them curiously.

"What were we talking about again?" Cameron asked.

"Apparently you're tormenting Harry's little protégé," Beca supplied. She turned to Harry and hitched her finger at Jesse. "Where'd you pick this guy up again?"

"At the corner of Sunset and Hollywood," Harrison joked. "I borrowed my lawyer's Lotus and decided to pick up a male escort; it was pure coincidence that he had impeccable manners and knew how to write music."

Jesse looked at him in surprise and admiration; yeah, he really, really wanted to work for this guy. Unfortunately, neither Cameron nor Beca seemed to get the joke.

"Your lawyer has a Lotus?" Cameron asked jealously at the same time Beca skeptically said, "Why do you need a lawyer?"

Harrison groaned. "Never mind!"

"So," Beca said, getting them back on track, "what's the deal? Are we hiring this guy?"

"That's why you're here," Cameron grumbled.

"Another tie breaker?" she snapped, crossing her arms. "You two realize that I have real work to do, right? I'm running your record label," she pointed at Cameron accusingly, before turning to Harrison, "and I'm busy producing award winning albums. What have you done lately?"

"I've done stuff!" Harrison muttered defensively.

"Ugh, resume."

Jesse stared at her dumbly, his mind slowing when she spoke directly to him. It took him a moment to gauge that she was holding her hand expectantly out to him.

"Huh?" he asked, snapping his mouth shut.

"Resume?" she said pointedly, wiggling her fingers. "Do. you. have. it?"

"Oh, sorry." He reached into his messenger bag and dug one out for her.

He took a second to look her over while she examined his resume. She was still Beca, just all grown up. She still had her dark eye makeup and nail polish, the ear spike was gone, but it was replaced by a little chain that hang from the multiple studs in her ear, and her clothing could only be described as "business alternative."

She looked up at him and narrowed her eyes when she noticed him checking her out, and he quickly averted his gaze, his face going red.

"What brought you to L.A.?" she asked. "Didn't you have career opportunities in New York?"

"I just needed a change of scenery," he replied wryly.

"Uh huh." Her eyes dropped to his naked ring finger, and she raised an eyebrow. He frowned and shifted uncomfortably, hiding his hand at his side.

"As I was telling him," Cameron was saying, "I just think his sound is too generic."

"Look, if your calling me in here to critique his scoring abilities, then you're asking the wrong person. I couldn't tell you the difference between John Horner and James Williams if I wanted to."

Jesse impulsively opened his mouth to correct her, but caught himself. He snapped his mouth shut and literally bit his tongue so hard he tasted blood.

"We've been barking up this tree for six months, Cameron, and we need to make a decision. If you want Harrison to get Sirius Sound off the ground, you're going to have to trust his judgment and let him hire someone at some point."

Jesse wanted to punch the air, but he contained himself. It seemed as if Beca really had Cameron's ear, and he was carefully considering what she was saying.

"The point of this position is to have Harrison mentor someone. Do I think this guy can bring people to tears or blow their minds?" She looked pointedly at Jesse, and if he didn't know any better, she was biting back a smile. "Probably not."

_Gee thanks, Beca_, he thought.

"But he might if we give him a chance. Plus, he's not green behind the ears like everyone else we've interviewed. He has real world experience, so he won't be completely useless while he gets trained. Harry knows music, but he's helpless with the background stuff," she stopped short and rolled her eyes when Harrison huffed indignantly. "Plus he has some experience mixing, he can work with my team to learn the ropes until Harrison gets a large project."

"You're certainly putting your neck on the line for a man you hardly know," Cameron commented.

"I'm just tired of looking."

"Did you even listen to his stuff?"

Beca shrugged noncommittally. "A little bit. It wasn't horrible."

Cameron looked from her to Jesse thoughtfully. "And you think he's a good fit for our team?"

"Harrison's already half in love with him already. Quick, Harry, ask him something nerdy."

Harrison grinned broadly. "Who are John Horner and James Williams?"

Jesse sighed in relief; this guy totally got him. "You mean James Horner and John Williams?"

"And they're both assholes," Beca added wryly.

Cameron heaved a deep sigh and stared at Jesse for a long moment. "Fine."

Harrison whooped loudly and hugged Beca, who pushed away from him with a look of distaste on her face.

"No hugs," she warned in a deadly serious voice.

Cameron held up a hand to quiet them down. "But you put something in his offer letter that states this is for a six-month probationary period only," he told Harrison before turning to Jesse. "You have six months to impress me, and then I'll decide if making you a permanent member of our team is worth it. Do you think you can handle that?"

"Of course," Jesse replied glibly, getting some of his spirit back now that he had been offered something. In the scheme of things, six months wasn't a long time at all, but he didn't have a choice. He would either make this work, or he would take the experience and move on when the time came.

"It will mean a cut in the salary by five percent as well."

Jesse's shoulders slumped. Harrison and he hadn't discussed money yet, but that didn't sound promising.

"Don't you think that's kind of douchey, Cam?" Beca protested.

Cameron grinned over at Beca. "Consider it a wager, Mitchell. If Swanson here can get his name on a score in six months, then I'll increase his salary ten percent from the original offer, plus a bonus of whatever the difference was during the first six months."

Beca crossed her arms and squinted at Cameron suspiciously. "But?"

"But you have to produce it yourself. We all know how much you value your reputation, so you better make sure it doesn't suck."

"You know I don't know anything about scoring movies!"

"Well then it looks like Harrison, Jesse, and yourself are going to be spending a lot of time together, doesn't it?" Cameron said, smirking.

Harrison seemed to find the situation hysterical and was nearly rolling on the floor, but Jesse was starting to feel a little terrified. If Beca's patience was anything comparable to how it was in college, then this was not going to be the most fun experience.

She stood and glared down at Cameron. "I don't have time to be babysitting, Cameron."

"Oh, it's just one album, Mitchell. You'll get over it."

"This is bullshit," she snapped, storming out of the room.

"Mitchell never can take a joke." Cameron shot a satisfied smirk over at Jesse and Harrison. "Well that got rid of her. Now, how soon can you start?"

* * *

"This is going to be great," Harrison gushed as they walked out of Cameron's office. It hadn't taken them long to knock out the rest of the details and discuss his salary. Fortunately, Jesse had been able to negotiate it a little higher with Harrison's help, and it was more than fair even after Cameron had knocked off the five percent.

"I can't wait for us to get started," Harrison continued. He hit the down button at the elevators. "I'm finishing up a score now that you can help me polish up, and then we can get you in the nitty gritty of the editing process."

"About that," Beca commented, coming up behind them, and Jesse turned to see her with a messenger bag flung over her arm and sunglasses propped on her head. "Didn't you mention a meeting with the producer this afternoon?"

Harrison's eyes bulged, and he whipped his phone out of his back pocket in a panic to check the time. "Crap! I've gotta –" He motioned frantically back to where Jesse assumed his office was.

"Go, you idiot," Beca said, hoisting her bag over her head. "I'll show your girlfriend down."

"Thanks!" he breathed gratefully. He clapped Jesse on the shoulder and pointed at him with a wink. "You, my man, I will see you on Monday."

"Definitely," Jesse laughed as Harrison hurried off. He turned back to Beca with a smile, but she wasn't looking at him.

"Thanks for that back there," he said nonchalantly.

"It was nothing," she said distractedly, checking her phone. Jesse's smile dropped. Okay, so maybe she wasn't as excited that they'd be working together as he was. The elevator dinged its arrival, and he followed her inside. The doors closed, and he could see their hazy reflections staring back at them.

"So..." he said, looking over at her.

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "So?" she repeated.

"Can we act like we know each other now, or...?"

Finally, she smiled. She looked up at him and shook her head in fond irritation.

"You nerd," she muttered.

He laughed out loud and bumped his shoulder against hers. "How've you been?"

"Oh, you know me. Kicking ass and taking names."

"Well, obviously. You're running a label, Beca! But how's life? You can't still be the antisocial girl hiding in her room while she works on mixes."

She smiled tightly as the elevator stopped at the ninth floor and a man in a business suit entered. She stepped to the back so that she was standing slightly behind Jesse.

"I stay busy," she murmured, not meeting his eye in the mirrored doors.

The rode down in silence and he followed her through the lobby, and to the parking garage.

"Well, I'm parked over there," she said, motioning with her head.

He frowned. He had hoped she wanted to catch up. He didn't have a lot of friends in L.A., and Beca would forever be one of his favorite people, even after ten years.

"Hey, wait a minute," he called when she turned away. "Do you want to go get a coffee or something? It's on me."

She bit her lip uncertainly and cast him an apologetic look. "I know this is going to sound like a blow off, but..."

"But you're blowing me off," he said, his face falling. Crap, he had almost forgotten how guarded she could be. He couldn't expect her to just drop what she was doing to hang out.

"No problem, then. I'll see you around."

"Jesse, I'm really not. We should definitely catch up. I just have a standing appointment kind of thing on Fridays."

"Oh." He frowned thoughtfully before looking over at her in concern. "Are you okay?"

She looked up at him in confusion, and then shook her head vehemently when understanding dawned on her.

"Oh God. Yeah, I'm fine. It's not with a doctor or anything like that. I'm just meeting someone," she explained, taking her phone out of her back pocket to check the time again.

He opened his mouth to bid her goodbye, when she looked up at him resolutely. She struggled for a moment, seemingly frustrated with herself as she finally said, "You know what, I have a few minutes. Have you eaten lunch?"

Jesse grinned. "No."

"I mean, I can't do a prolonged affair, but I haven't eaten, and there's this sandwich place around the corner."

"That sounds great."

She motioned for him to follow her to the stairs that led them down to the street, and took off at a brisk walk.

"You look good," he commented, matching his stride to hers. "You haven't changed a bit."

Her lips quirked, but she didn't look up at him. "You don't look half bad yourself. Although, I did notice a little gleam right about here," she teased, motioning to the crown of her head.

He patted his hair self-consciously, which caused her to laugh softly. "There is not," he said defensively. "Why would you even say that?"

She was still laughing when they walked into the deli.

"Hey, Mitch!" a man behind the counter called. "The usual?"

"Yeah, and whatever this guy wants." She took out her wallet and threw some cash down before Jesse had time to protest.

"You actually brought someone with you?" he asked incredulously.

"That's right, Guillermo. Apparently you're not the only one who can see me."

Guillermo looked at Jesse, obviously impressed.

"Um... turkey on rye," he ordered feeling slightly embarrassed by the curious looks he was getting from the deli staff. He wasn't the kind of guy who minded the attention focused on him, but these people were looking at him as if he were the missing link. He quickly grabbed a cup and hurried after Beca nervously.

"Come here often?" he teased as they filled their drinks at the soda fountain.

She nodded. "I usually eat on the run, and they're quick."

Sure enough, Guillermo appeared behind them with two plates loaded down with their sandwiches and potato chips. Beca led the way to a bistro table next to the window and thanked him quietly as he set their plates down, casting Jesse one last curious glance. They took a few moments to untangle themselves from their messenger bags and plopped down across from each other simultaneously.

"This looks good," Jesse commented, ripping off a piece of turkey and tossing it into his mouth. He followed up with a big bite of his sandwich and raised his eyebrows in surprise. It _was_ good. It was the bread, that stuff was fresh. He'd have to find a gym in the area to balance out his future trips to the deli. He caught Beca's eye and grinned. He opened his mouth to ask her more about her life since Barden, but she leaned forward and cut him to the chase.

"How long have you been in Los Angeles?" she asked.

He chewed quietly and rinsed his bite down with a swig of his soda. "About a month."

"So you just up and decided to move to LA with no job because..."

"Things happen," he said nonchalantly. "New York wasn't necessarily everything I thought it would be, I guess."

Beca picked up her pickle spear and chewed it slowly, thoughtfully eying him.

"So," she finally said.

"So?" he repeated, shrugging.

Her eyes dropped to his left hand.

"It's not a secret," he muttered.

"The missus wasn't too keen on leaving the East Coast?"

"No," he sighed. "The missus was the reason I left the East Coast."

Beca raised her eyebrows questioningly.

"Cassie left me for another man," he clarified. "We just began the divorce proceedings, and I... I just had to get away."

She nodded her head in understanding. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"Thanks."

"I can't say I was particularly fond of her..."

He smiled wryly. "Really? I never could tell."

Beca shrugged. "I tried to play nice, but Cassie had claws. Plus I could never take her Beta Theta Zappa Cappa Delta Omega crap seriously."

"She was always a little fake," Jesse agreed reluctantly. It still felt weird to hate someone he used to love, and he'd yet to go on a true bitchfest about his wife. "At first I could ignore it, because... oh, I don't know why."

"Because you wanted to," Beca stated, taking a sip of her drink.

"You know she dyes her hair brunette now?" he laughed, trying to lighten the mood. "She thinks it will make people take her more seriously."

Beca rolled her eyes. "You should just count your blessings; it could have been a lot worse. At least you didn't have kids or anything."

Jesse flicked his gaze away from her and focused on his plate. "Yeah, lucky me."

She eyed him thoughtfully for a moment, obviously picking up on the shift in his mood. "You alright?"

"Fine," he said by default. He leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms. "And what about you? Have you settled down yet?"

She groaned. "You sound like my mother."

"Well?"

"No." She turned her glass thoughtfully in her hand, swiping her thumb up and down to create a pattern in the condensation forming at the sides. "I don't have time for dating."

"What?" he gasped mockingly. "You mean no one has captured your fancy?"

She squinted her eyes at him. "There have been a few guys, but nothing serious. I'd rather just concentrate on work and other hobbies."

"Other hobbies?" he prodded.

"Stripping," she deadpanned. "I have a mountain of student loans to pay off."

"You mean for that tuition you didn't have to pay?"

She sighed theatrically. "You caught me. I do it for the thrill."

He chuckled. "So, Beca Mitchell, music producer and chairwoman of Finite Records," he said, changing the subject. "How exactly did that happen?"

"It was just kind of the natural progression of things," she said with a shrug. "Cameron was a talent manager when I first met him. He wanted to start his own label, and we worked well together, so he asked me to join him.

"Since it was a smaller label, I got more hands-on experience than I would have with a larger label. I worked as a sound engineer for a couple of years, learning the ropes, and then he let me start producing. When he decided to expand Noble Entertainment, he left Finite in my hands, so I pretty much have free reign. I still get to produce and do what I want, plus I have a voice in how the label is run. A win-win situation."

"You caught a good break."

Beca shrugged. "I worked my ass off for it."

She looked up at him with an assessing gaze. "What about you? Why are you willing to start back at the bottom of the totem pole?"

"You saw my resume," he commented. "Somehow I ended up on the financial side of things instead of the creative. It wasn't what I wanted to be doing, but somewhere along the line, I ended up working for the dollar. I've needed a hard reset for a long time, and now just seemed like the perfect time to do it."

"But you're okay, though?" Beca asked, catching him off guard. Gone was any trace of teasing, and she was looking over at him with concern.

He paused and thought about it before nodding confidently. "I'm a lot better now."

"I'm glad I could help," she replied. "Just, you know, don't fuck things up."

He laughed and she looked at him sternly. "I mean it. And I know everyone will find out eventually, but if we could keep our sordid past a secret for a little while, I'd really appreciate it."

"Sordid past?" he scoffed. "I wouldn't say sordid... unless you count that one time you serenaded me with 'Closer.'"

She laughed outright at that, causing Guillermo and his friends to look at them and begin chattering excitedly to each other in Spanish.

"You know what I mean," she finally said, shaking her head at the memory. "I'm not really known as a woman about town, and if anyone catches wind that I got an ex-boyfriend a job, people will talk."

"Why would you have to worry about that?" he asked. "I would assume it's my professional integrity we're trying to keep from being questioned."

She shook her head, but didn't answer directly. "I just try to keep my business to myself. Work is work."

"That's fair," he agreed. "No one will hear anything about it from me, I promise."

"Thanks." She smiled up at him, her eyes softening, and they gazed fondly at each other for a short moment. Suddenly, she jumped and leaned to the side in order to dig her vibrating phone out of her pocket.

"Dad?" she answered, her brow furrowing. She turned away from him slightly and stuck a finger in her opposite ear. "What do you mean I'm late? I don't have to get her until 3:30 on Fridays..."

Jesse looked curiously at her. Who on earth did she have to pick up?

"Shit!" Beca cursed when her father stopped talking. "I forgot about that. Did you...?" she paused as Dr. Mitchell answered her. "Great. I'm leaving now. Thanks, Dad."

"What's going on?" Jesse asked when she hung up the phone and stood to gather her things. "Is someone waiting on you?"

"Um... yeah. I've got to go get... um... Sheila -"

"Sheila?" he asked, standing up with her. "What's Sheila doing here?"

"She and my dad work out of UCLA now," she explained absently as she pulled her messenger bag on. She looked over at him sternly to prevent him from questioning her any further. "I'm late and I've gotta go, but I'll explain it later. Enjoy the rest of your sandwich."

"Hey, wait," he called.

She stopped and looked at him in irritation. "Yeah?"

He thought about asking if she was busy later that weekend, but instead he shrugged. "I'll see you at work."

She gave him a small smile. "Yeah, you will."

* * *

_**Reviewers: **__trustxbelieve :: OneShotWoman15 :: thegirlnextdoor101 :: .792 :: TheLittleRipper :: jellybean96 :: Amazingly-Scary-Ear-Spike :: crazy-pomegranate :: mysupermanwillcome :: kissyourself :: BittyAB18 :: Grey :: xSuperNovax :: theasbofive :: ariel133 :: Zammie88 :: rdprice29 :: Cobie :: angie515 :: bouncingzebras :: Lily887787 :: 23LaffertysGurl23_

_**Author's Note: **__Sorry for the delay. _Endings_ by ingeniousmacabre got me in the mood to watch _Mr. and Mrs. Smith _(even though they're assassins and not spies), and I realized that Cameron and Harrison are Brad Pitt and Adam Brody respectively. (In case anyone needs a visual. You are welcome.) _

_**Disclaimer: **__Pitch Perfect is the property of Universal Studios. I'm just manipulating it for my own nefarious (and strictly nonprofit) purposes._


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